NGC Petro Additions Ltd (OPaL), which runs a mega petrochemicals complex at a special economic zone (SEZ) at Dahej, has decided to exit a programme that mandates overseas export from a unit located in an SEZ. Driven by huge domestic demand for plastics in the country, the company has initiated the process to get access to domestic tariff area to gain from the lower tax regime, said sources close to the development. Also the promoter ONGC, which owns 26% stake in OPaL, plans to increase its stake up to 70%. This would put an end to all plans of finding overseas partners for the project, said a company official aware of the development. "More than 80% of OPaL’s demand is from the domestic market. The plant is running at 100% capacity, up from about 70% last year. After ONGC acquires additional stake, OPaL will become a subsidiary of ONGC. Plans regarding expansion or further investments will be made thereafter," the official said. OPaL’s Rs 30,000 crore petrochemical complex, … [Read more...] about New wave of petrochemicals expansion in Gujarat
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China blames foreign forces for unrest in Xinjiang
BEJING: China blamed foreign forces on Sunday for causing unrest in its western region of Xinjiang, which has a large population of Muslims and borders Pakistan. The statement comes in the wake of international criticism about the Chinese government allegedly running re-education camps for local Muslims. China has issued a white paper saying, among other things, that “hostile forces in and outside China, especially separatists, religious extremists and terrorists, have tried to split China and break it apart by distorting history and facts”. The white paper did not name any country as the sources of hostile forces. But Xinjiang leaders have in the past blamed the Taliban, based in Pakistan and Afghanistan, for providing support to the region’s separatists. Turkey’s role has also been questioned by some Chinese scholars because the Uyghur Muslims speak the Turkic language and have close connections with some Turkish people. The white paper also said that the … [Read more...] about China blames foreign forces for unrest in Xinjiang
‘Use them as a speed bump’: Kerri-Anne Kennerley suggests running over climate change protesters
Kennerley made the comments on the Channel 10 show this morning after a news story about arrests of Extinction Rebellion protesters currently disrupting traffic and services across the country as part of a week-long “Spring Rebellion”. “Personally, I would leave them all super glued to wherever they do it,” she said. “The guy hanging from the Story Bridge. Why send emergency services? Leave him there until he gets himself out. No emergency services should help them, nobody should do anything, and you just put little witches hats around them, or use them as a speed bump.” Co-host Sarah Harris said, “God, you’re going to get us into trouble.” Kennerley added, “Is that wrong? Put them in jail and forget to feed them. Put them in some of the aged care homes around Australia, that would really sort them out.” Extinction Rebellion activists march in Brisbane on Monday. Picture: Regi Varghese/AAPSource:AAP Extinction … [Read more...] about ‘Use them as a speed bump’: Kerri-Anne Kennerley suggests running over climate change protesters
COP25: Stalemate continues in UN climate talks
MADRID: The UN climate change conference was locked in a stalemate over a number of technical issues relating to finance, loss and damage, and mechanism of a new carbon trading market, even as it went into an extra day on Saturday. The two-week-long climate negotiations, named COP25, undergoing in this Spanish capital was scheduled to conclude on Friday. But negotiators have been unable to arrive unanimously on commitments that would see nations to make new pledges by the end of 2020 despite endless rounds of negotiations and back-channel diplomacy. Negotiators and envoys of nearly 200 countries are apprehensive of the increasingly pressing topics like climate finance -- a support to developing countries, including India -- and on rules to govern carbon markets and the language that will frame how high the world aims during the next 12 months. Also the big emitters in particular have failed to put the world on a path to achieve 1.5 degrees Celsius to avert climate catastrophe and … [Read more...] about COP25: Stalemate continues in UN climate talks
And now ‘deskercise’ to stay healthy
Is your chair killing you slowly?Indeed, you are sitting yourselves to death and losing two hours of life for every hour that you are sitting, said James Levine, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative, in his 2014 book, Get Up! Why Your Chair is Killing You and What You Can Do About It Dr. Levine is credited with the tag line, “Sitting is the new smoking”, who encouraged Americans to create office environments where people could actually exercise while they were working.As Kerala fights to shed its unsavoury reputation of being the “diabetes capital” of the country, the Health Department has taken the lead in adopting Dr. Levine’s wisdom and creating opportunities at workplaces for employees to stretch or shake-a-leg.Walk into the inner courtyard of the Directorate of Health Services at 11 a.m. and you will find them at it...side stretches, back bends, touching the toe, twists, neck … [Read more...] about And now ‘deskercise’ to stay healthy